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Sydney Surrounds Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
About
The Hunter Valley is the oldest and the vastest wine-producing area in Australia. This has also grown to be one of the important tourist spots in New South Wales. This has been a favourite spot for the Sydneysiders as well as interstate and overseas visitors. The Hunter was established over 150 years ago, and has now become the land of around 80 wineries, big labels as well as small, over the years. The famous names include Lindemans, McWilliams, Rothbury, Hardy's, Wyndham Estate and McGuigan. There are also old, established family concerns like Tyrells and Draytons who have been there over generations. There are also small wineries like Simon Whitlam and Lakes Folly who have flourished over the years.
The Hunter Valley begins at about 160 kilometres to the north of Sydney, stretching east-west and is about 80 kilometres wide. It lies on an area of 12,000 square kilometres. This is the largest wine-growing area in Australia. Ironically, though the range of produce is large, the output is rather small, amounting to only two percent of Australia's total produce. The full-bodied white wines, the red wines, and the ports from the Hunter Valley are superior. The Valley and its wines have attracted visitors since long ago.
Transport
Driving to the Hunter Valley is always the best choice of transport for getting there as the drive itself offers a lot of interesting sights all through your way to the Valley. To reach the Hunter Valley by road you have to pass through several small towns and cross several landscapes of excellent scenic beauty. So the drive to the Hunter Valley itself is part of the fun of exploring the Hunter Valley. On a normal day of moderate climate when there is no unusual mishaps such as heavy rain, a drive along the F3 Freeway can reach you in the Hunter Valley easily in 2 to 2-1/2 hours. The F3 Freeway or the National Route 1 is part of the Pacific Highway. It connects Newcastle with New England Highway, running west through the heart of the Hunter Valley and then north to Brisbane. The drive, although some roads in the wine country and Barrington Tops remain unsealed, is very pleasant and fairly easy. A car is the best mode of transport that can help you explore the Hunter Valley and Barrington Tops to the maximum.
Transfers are available from Sydney to Newcastle including helicopter transfers to most locations in the Hunter Valley. Aerial views are breathtaking and helicopters can land you right at your chosen spot. Coaches, private cars, and mini-bus transfers are also available.
